MotorWeek 2012 Drivers' Choice Best of the Year: Ford Mustang Boss 302

CHICAGO, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A thoroughly modern muscle car that remains true to its legendary heritage, the Ford Mustang Boss 302 roars past the competition, capturing MotorWeek's "Best of the Year" 2012 Drivers' Choice Award. MotorWeek, television's longest running automotive series, has presented its Drivers' Choice Awards annually since 1983. The awards are among the auto industry's most prestigious honors and are announced at the Chicago Auto Show.  The Mustang Boss 302 took top honors for preserving its pony car roots, while delivering exceptional performance, power and comfort.

"We are honored to receive this award for the Boss 302," said Dave Pericak, Mustang Chief Engineer. "Our goal was to pay homage to the heritage of this vehicle while transforming it into a world-class sports car recognized for its handling and track capabilities. It's a fun job and I attribute the product's success to the Mustang enthusiasts and fans who help us improve with each and every model."

"We here at MotorWeek  were left almost speechless that this rear-drive American muscle car is so extremely refined and works so seamlessly with the driver," said MotorWeek host and executive producer John Davis. "The Mustang Boss 302 is the best example this year of a car where all aspects of engineering come together. As a total package, the Mustang Boss 302 is just an outstanding ride."

Recognized as the best overall among winners in 14 lifestyle categories, the Mustang Boss 302 also won as "Best Performance Car." All Drivers' Choice winners are featured on motorweek.org, as well as on a special episode of MotorWeek airing on PBS beginning February 11, 2012, and on cable's Velocity beginning February 21, 2012. MotorWeek's Drivers' Choice Awards are nationally sponsored by RockAuto and Tire Rack.

The MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Awards are unique for their consumer focus.  MotorWeek's editorial staff evaluates more than 150 cars, trucks and utilities based on performance, technology, practicality, fuel efficiency and dollar value.

2012 MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Award Winners:

Now in its 31st season, MotorWeek is one of the nation's leading sources for automotive reviews and DIY car care advice. Produced by Maryland Public Television, MotorWeek airs on PBS, Velocity and V-me Spanish-language network.

RockAuto, LLC was founded in Madison, Wisconsin in 1999 by the Taylor family. Their engineering background, passion for old cars, and desire to liberate information hidden behind the auto parts store counter led the Taylors to start RockAuto.com.

Today, RockAuto.com ships thousands of auto parts from over 200 manufacturers to customers on every continent except Antarctica. The RockAuto.com catalog is updated daily with mechanical parts like brake pads and shock absorbers, body parts like bumpers and mirrors, interior trim like door handles and carpets, and major assemblies like steering gears, CV axles, engine long blocks, and complete transmissions. The RockAuto.com catalog is expanding constantly. Someday, it may be possible to build an entire car using parts from RockAuto!

About Tire Rack
Tire Rack, family-owned and headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, is America's largest independent tire tester and consumer-direct source for tires, wheels and performance accessories. Their team of over 100 test drivers (their sales team) tests tires from every major tire manufacturer on the company's state-of-the-art, 11.7-acre test facility. The findings are then posted on the company's website, www.tirerack.com, where consumers can make an educated decision on a tire, wheel or performance accessory purchase.

 Tire Rack has also collected results from more than 158,150 consumer surveys representing over 2.7 billion miles of real-world tire data, the largest known cache of such information anywhere. In addition various testing and informational videos are available online in their Video Center at www.tirerack.com/videos. Since 1979, Tire Rack has grown from a single-point retail store in Indianapolis to encompass over 1.9 million square feet of space in six distribution centers across the country. A diverse and broad in-stock inventory from 17 major tire and 49 wheel brands can be delivered anywhere in the country in two days or less. A national network of more than 8,000 independent recommended Installers are available to service customers.

SOURCE MotorWeek